The Blake Lively birthing video controversy continues to draw attention after new details surfaced from a producer’s deposition, highlighting conflicting accounts between Lively and those she has accused of misconduct on set. The disagreement, centering on an incident involving a private birthing video on the set of “It Ends With Us,” has escalated as the lawsuit and upcoming trial involve key figures including Blake Lively, Jamey Heath, and director Justin Baldoni.
Details Unfold from Producer’s Testimony
According to recently filed court documents, Jamey Heath, who worked as a producer on “It Ends With Us,” provided a deposition regarding the birthing video incident discussed in Blake Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit. The hearing, which took place on October 8, featured questions about Heath’s professional relationship with director and actor Justin Baldoni, who has been a business partner of Heath’s for two decades. Both Baldoni and Heath, along with other defendants, have denied allegations of wrongdoing put forth by Lively.
The lawsuit centers on Lively’s claim that she was unexpectedly shown a personal birthing video by Heath while preparing to film a birth scene for the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s popular novel. Lively expressed concern at being presented with the footage without warning, stating she was “alarmed” by what was shown.
Heath admitted in his deposition that he displayed
“a video of my wife giving birth”
to Lively, supporting her assertion that the video was screened on set. He described the content in detail, noting it depicted
“our midwife, my sister, my kids, my wife, myself, our newborn baby.”
Heath recalled,
“I believe we were singing and praying. The baby was crying and then at some point we were whispering a prayer in the baby’s ear.”
– Jamey Heath, Producer
Differing Versions of Key Moment on Set
Accounts from both Lively and Heath sharply diverge on the substance and significance of what Lively viewed. According to Heath, the video segment shown featured no explicit nudity:
“Well, the first portion of the video — which, again, she had only seen maybe a half a second of it — is only my wife sitting here, the baby on top. And that’s what she would have seen.”
– Jamey Heath, Producer
Lively, however, described the set as turbulent and criticized the lack of privacy and standard safeguards while she was required to perform a challenging scene. She stated,
“When the birth scene was filmed, the set was chaotic, crowded and utterly lacking in standard industry protections for filming nude scenes,”
– Blake Lively, Actor
She further clarified her reaction to the footage:
“playing a video of a fully nude woman with her legs spread apart.”
– Blake Lively, Actor
Lively recounted confronting Heath by asking whether his wife was aware he was sharing such a personal moment:
“asked [Heath] if his wife knew he was sharing the video.”
– Blake Lively, Actor
Heath’s response, according to Lively, was
“She isn’t weird about this stuff,”
as if [Lively] was weird for not welcoming it.
– Blake Lively, Actor
Content and Consent Issues Raised
Further dialogue addressed whether the individuals in the video were properly covered: Lively’s attorney inquired if Heath’s wife was clothed, to which Heath explained,
“The towel was more over the baby, I think, because, you know, when the baby came out of the way and you bring it up, then it’s wet. So, you put a dry towel to cover it.”
– Jamey Heath, Producer
Heath said he himself was clothed in the footage and insisted that Baldoni had encouraged him to share the “beautiful video” with Lively to help inform her birthing scene. Heath added that he gave no thought to potentially inappropriate implications when he approached Lively with the video excerpt.
The dispute regarding the contents and appropriateness of the footage reached legal proceedings, with Lively categorically objecting to being shown the clip without her knowledge or consent, particularly in a professional context surrounded by colleagues. The emotional nature of her complaint is apparent through the consistent description of the atmosphere as “chaotic, crowded, and utterly lacking” in standard industry protections, and her suggestion that she was made to feel uncomfortable and abnormal for objecting.
Legal Responses and Counterclaims
The legal battle has intensified as defendants push back on Lively’s characterizations. In a since-dismissed countersuit from Baldoni and Heath’s legal team, the claims regarding the video’s nature were directly challenged:
“Lively continued with an outrageous and knowingly false suggestion that she was shown pornography or naked images of Heath’s wife on set.”
– Baldoni and Heath’s Attorney
Court filings asserted that the image in question depicted a post-birth family moment:
“This video, which ultimately was not shown to Lively (even though she stated she’d like to see it later, as she was eating) is by all accounts beautiful. Since Lively wanted to see it later, what she saw was the first image at the start of the video, which shows Heath’s wife, himself and their baby after his wife gave birth at home,”
– Baldoni and Heath’s Attorney
The countersuit further condemned the characterization of the video as pornography, stating:
“To characterize this image that captures such a beautiful moment with their newborn baby, shared with the consent of his wife for purposes of the Film, as a naked photo, or worse, ‘porn’ is deplorable.”
– Baldoni and Heath’s Attorney
Both parties maintain their positions as the case proceeds, with the controversy exposing a deeply personal divide on what constitutes professionalism, consent, and appropriate behavior on set.
Next Steps in the Ongoing Dispute
The trial over the Blake Lively birthing video controversy is expected to begin in March, potentially bringing further revelations about the production of “It Ends With Us” and the dynamics among the film’s principal players, including Jamey Heath and Justin Baldoni. With Lively’s lawsuit laying out her grievances over the on-set incident and the defense’s countersuit forcefully contesting her version of events, the proceedings may set new precedents for privacy, consent, and on-set conduct in Hollywood, particularly when intimate, vulnerable moments are referenced or used during filming.
As the trial date approaches, members of the public, industry peers, and advocacy organizations are likely to follow developments closely, seeking clarification and accountability in an environment where workplace boundaries, respect, and communication remain under intense scrutiny. The outcome could have enduring effects on industry standards and expectations, not only for those directly involved but also for wider discussions around the treatment of actors and crew during sensitive film productions.
